Clarity called for on SNA funding
A demonstration against the Government’s handling of cuts to special needs assistants (SNAs) hours in schools was held outside City Hall yesterday evening, Wednesday.
Organisers said there were questions for the Government to answer. This week, Minister for Education Hildegard Naughton rolled back on proposed cuts to SNA numbers in schools. The Government has pledged an extra €19 million for SNA places from what was promised in this year’s budget.
Labour Party Cllr Peter Horgan said there were more questions than answers following the rollback. “It feels like a Government desperately battling to stem the flow their own policies created.
“Where did the €19 million come from? Where are the additional SNAs coming from? What is the confidence of the National Centre for Special Education (NCSE) now?” he said.
Labour Senator Laura Harmon said “the government has placed a pause on their decision to cut vital SNAs with no clarity on next steps”.
“Schools are currently submitting appeals with little certainty on how this process is to be conducted. Clarity must be provided for schools and for SNAs. Labour is demanding that no cuts be administered that would remove SNA supports from children currently accessing,” she said.
The government has been under criticism from opposition parties, trade unions, and a groundswell of opposition from parents and members of the public who were to see their schools’ SNA hours cut.
A review of SNA places in approximately 580 schools conducted by the NCSE said that a third had more SNAs than were needed, while the other two thirds either had enough or needed more.
Government ministers defended the review’s finding in the Dáíl last week. However, on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said that the government had never actually signed off on the review, and so defended the decision to roll back the proposed cuts.
"When Government saw the impact of this, Government considered it, and Government have decided not to go ahead with what was being proposed," he said.